


Secret

by defenderofjustice707



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: A cosplay cafe, AU, Eren is in highschool, Fluff and Angst, Homophobia, Levi is in college, M/M, Romance, Slow Build, ereri
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-23
Updated: 2014-02-26
Packaged: 2018-01-05 16:03:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 17,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1095916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/defenderofjustice707/pseuds/defenderofjustice707
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU Where Eren is a high school senior working at a cosplay cafe and Levi is a college student. Eren can't tell his overly-religious parents about his sexuality in fear of being disowned- or worse. Can Levi help him gather the courage to tell them, or will it stay a secret forever?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I already posted this on fanficiton, but I'm putting it on here too. I'll upload one or two chapters a day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I already posted this on fanfiction, but I''m posting it here, too.

Eren Jeager loved his parents. Nice, kind, and conservative. They always prayed before a meal, and went to church every Sunday. They were almost always nice to others. But, that was the thing. They were _almost_ always nice to others.

And that was why he couldn't tell them his secret. The secret so many people had accepted as a part of who he was, save for a few. And he was afraid his parents would join that few. So, he kept quiet.

* * *

 

Eren walked on the sidewalk, glancing at the people passing by him. All people on their way back from church, maybe to a nice brunch or a park. His parents, Grisha and Carla Jeager, had decided to go out on an early date this morning before Grisha went on another business trip. They had asked if Eren wanted to go, but he had work, and he knew that his parents would want some time alone before his father began his long absence.

Eren stopped at a cosplay cafe and sighed, walking inside. His co-workers nodded at him as he walked by. Ymir and Christa walked out of the female changing room, giggling. Christa smiled at Eren. Ymir just scowled.

"Armin's having trouble with his suit, says Jean." Christa said.

"Why didn't he just help him?" scoffed Ymir. "Really, they're practically a couple already."

Eren smiled and nodded as he headed back to the male locker room. There stood Armin, trying to tie his tie. His tail coat was still unbuttoned. Eren changed into the tux without much difficulty and helped Armin with his.

"Thanks." Armin said gratefully.

"No problem." Eren said, heading out. He was immediately assaulted by the eyes of he customers. Maid Day was one of their favorites. Eren wondered why they didn't just go to a maid cafe or a butler cafe instead. He didn't mind working here.

He actually quite liked being admired by both girls and boys alike. Sometimes, the regular customers went so far as to ask to be served by Eren. He and Christa were the two most popular employees, Mikasa coming in at a close third. Eren glanced around the shop. Mikasa wasn't working today.

Eren looked up as a short man with a permanent scowl walked in. He looked like he was constipated. He was quite handsome, but his intimidating glare took away from it all. Eren walked over to the man and greeted him.

"Right this way, sir. Table for one?" He asked, smiling.

"Five." said the man. Eren took him to a table for six - close enough - and smiled again. "I'll be right back."

Levi sighed. Why had Zoe chosen this place, of all the places in town? And just for some stupid college paper they had to turn in _next fucking week_. And it wasn't even a group paper. Zoe just liked to mooch off of other people.

He glanced at his waiter. He wasn't bad looking. His emerald green eyes shone with some sort of determination, but they looked sad. _Get it together_! He mentally slapped himself. Now was no time to be checking out boys. He had a paper to do.

But where was Zoe? _There_. She paraded in, with Erd, Petra, Gunther, and Auroro. Zoe slid next to Levi and Petra and Auroro sat next to each other. Of course. Erd and Gunther sat on either side of them. Auroro smiled at Petra, who blushed. Levi threw up a little and turned his head. The waiter walked back up to the table.

"Welcome, honored guests. I am Eren, and I will be your butler today." He sat five menus down on the table and bowed. "What would you like to drink?" he asked, licking the tip of his pen. Levi shivered in disgust. How could he lick something so... filthy?

They all ordered their drinks and Eren left. Levi couldn't help but watch him go. He glanced at Erd's paper and snarled. "That's disgusting." He said.

Erd's paper had coffee stains on it. It was just his rough draft, but it was hideous none the less. Zoe laughed. Petra and Auroro were still acting lovey-dovey. Levi turned away. In truth, he had had a crush on Petra, once. That crush was long gone, but he still couldn't help but feel a bit hurt when he saw them together.

"Here are your drinks." Eren said, suddenly appearing at the table side. "Have you decided what to order?"

They ordered their food. Levi had chosen a stack of pancakes that didn't look too revolting. He watched Eren leave again. He moved with a certain grace, something Levi couldn't quite place. It fascinated him.

"What do you think?" asked Zoe, gesturing around the cafe and grinning like a lunatic.

"Why?" Levi asked simply.

"Because!" she gestured at all of the cosplaying workers. "It's so nice here! And tomorrow is glasses day! Guess what? I have glasses!" To emphasize her point, she took off her glasses and slammed them onto the table.

"Is there a problem, Mistress?" asked a blonde girl in a maid outfit, rushing over to their table. Erd giggled. Her name-tag read: "Christa".

"Not at all." Zoe said happily. Christa smiled at her, nodded, curtseyed, and left.

"Hey!" Zoe nudged Levi with her elbow. He had been trying to write his paper. He looked up at Zoe, who hadn't written a thing on her blank piece of paper. Why had she called them there if she wasn't going to do anything?

"What?" Levi didn't bother to keep the irritation out of his voice.

"I got to dissect a worm!" she said happily, and launched into a description of her fun. Levi ignored her and glanced up. Eren was carrying their food toward them, so Levi set his pen down and put his paper in his bag. He didn't want to get any food bits on it.

Eren gave them their food and stepped back, going to tend to the other customers. He couldn't help but look back at the incredibly handsome man, whose scowl had lessened slightly. A wave of sadness hit him and he turned away, quickly. How was he going to tell his parents his secret? They would disown him. But he had to do it. Not today. Tomorrow.

There's always tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

Eren shifted in his seat. Christa had needed to borrow his notes after work, and came over to his house to study. His parents knew about the fact that she was dating Ymir. They scowled every time they saw her. Christa ignored it. Eren decided that she was a saint for not leaving immediately with his notes and maybe a bit of blood on her hands.

Eren was embarrassed. Christa kept eyeing him during their studying. Is this why you haven't come out to them yet? He could practically hear her thinking it. Then, she got up.

"I've got to get home. Ymir is waiting for me." she said, checking her phone. A small smile spread across her face, and Eren was happy for her. For years Christa was alone, with no one to talk to but her abusive father and her few friends, Eren included. Then, she had met Ymir. And fallen in love with her. Now, they were living together. Christa was safe from her father, who she never turned in and begged Eren to never turn in. Christa was happy for the first time in years.

As Eren and Christa walked to the front door, his parents got up to see her off, like the polite people they were. Christa shot Eren a we'll-talk-about-this-later look and walked off, waving and smiling as if she were at work. Forced.

"Good riddance." muttered Grisha. Eren clenched his fists tightly and grit his teeth; He knew Christa was still within hearing distance. Christa paused on the sidewalk, glancing back toward them with a look of disgust on her face before leaving.

The next day, Eren got a text from her asking to meet her at the mall after school. He replied with a simple yes and shoved his phone in his pocket. He was dreading it. On the way to school, he ran into Mikasa and Armin.

"Eren!" Mikasa said, smiling. "I'm sorry I didn't talk to you yesterday. I was very busy." she looked like she deeply regretted it.

"It's fine." Eren smiled easily. He turned to Armin. "How is it going with Jean?"

Armin's blue eyes saddened slightly. "He's still not speaking to me." Eren nodded knowingly and patted him on the head. "He's still watching you, though."

"That's not reassuring, it's creepy." Armin said, shivering slightly. Whether it was from the cold weather or the thought of Jean stalking him, Eren couldn't tell. He suspected it was the latter.

Armin and Jean had been off and on for quite a while now. While they were off, Jean would try to seduce Mikasa, who always declined. What kind of friend would she be if she accepted his offer? She shuttered at he thought, her eyes roaming to Eren. She frowned. For a while, she had thought that her feelings for Eren were purely sisterly, but now...

 

The day passed by all to quickly for Eren. He was dreading the talk he would have to have with Christa. " _Are you OK?", "Do you need a place to stay?"_.

Once, Eren had tried to tell his parents he was gay.

"Hey, what would you guys do if I was gay?" he had asked quietly, heat flaring up in his face. He immediately regretted asking.

"Why on earth would you ask such a thing?" asked Carla sharply. "I don't even want to think about how terrible that would be. We don't want you going to hell."

Eren felt tears spring to his eyes and quickly blinked them away. No way was he going to cry. Then they would know that he was actually gay. He was scared.

"It was just hypothetical." he had said quietly.

Now, he was standing in the mall, waiting for Christa to show up. No, agonizing about how Christa was going to show up. He started pacing the mall, and decided to buy himself a soft pretzel to calm himself down.

As Eren chewed his delicious pretzel, he noticed something. A brunette in glasses was barreling toward him at an alarming rate. He recognized her from the cosplay cafe. He opened his mouth and-

She grabbed his shoulders, grinning like a madman.

"You're the hot one from the cosplay cafe!" she practically screeched, an excited blush spreading across her face. Then, she was pried off of Eren. He stood there in shock.

"Get off the poor brat." said a man standing behind her. Eren's eyes flickered with recognition. _He was the constipated one! I wonder how his stomach is doing?_ Mentally, Eren smacked himself. That guy wasn't actually constipated.

"You're not traumatized, are you?" he asked, looking over Eren. Eren managed to shake his head no.

"Sorry." The girl said, unconvincingly. "It's just- I got so excited! I mean, you're so gorgeous! (Not as gorgeous as my man back home, but...)"

"Thank you?" asked Eren. He tried to shake the bewildered expression form his face, taking another bite of his pretzel. A few pieces of over-sized salt fell to the floor.

"I'm Zoe!" she took his hand excitedly. Technically, he wasn't supposed to associate with guests. At least, he didn't think he was supposed to associate with guests. But what could be the harm?

"This is Levi." she said, gesturing back to the constipated man. He scowled.

"I can introduce myself, damn glasses." he said. "L-e-v-i, not R-i-v-i-a-l-l-e." Eren could only nod dumbly. Why were these two telling him their names?

"I hope we see each other again soon, Eren!" Zoe said happily before dragging Levi away.

Eren sighed in relief. He had gathered from yesterday that she was a bit off on her knocker, but this was crazy! Just like her. He ate the last bit of his pretzel and set off to find Christa. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for today.


	3. Chapter 3

Christa came in about ten minutes later, her cheeks red from running. She stopped in front of Eren, breathing heavily and resting her hands on her knees. She looked up at him with an apologetic look on her face.

"I'm so sorry!" she said, wiping sweat from her forehead. "I bought you coffee, but then I drank it!"

"You bought me... coffee?" asked Eren. "And you didn't buy yourself one, too?"

"What?" asked Christa, cocking her head to the side. "It would be weird if I bought two coffees."

"Not if you were buying one for someone else!" he looked at her in disbelief. Why on earth wouldn't she buy two coffees? Unless she didn't have the money. But if she didn't have the money, she shouldn't have bought coffee at all!

"Whatever." Eren sighed. He wasn't in the mood for an argument. Apparently, neither was Christa. She didn't talk to him about his parents. They just wandered around the mall for an hour, talking about random things that had happened to them throughout the day. And the latest gossip on Jean and Armin, of course.

"I think Annie might have been checking Armin out." said Christa. Eren nodded knowingly. He knew that Armin and Annie liked each other, but Armin was still set on Jean. "And Jean's been pretty oblivious. He should choose one; Armin, Mikasa, or Marco."

Eren sighed. This had been going on for quite some time. "We both know he's going to choose Marco." she said. "He's freckled Jesus."

"I know. I think Armin will get over him after a while." Eren said. And on they went.

After that, Christa left to go home. Eren didn't want to go back home yet, so he kept walking. Out the door, across the street, around the bend. He ended up at the park. He glanced at the people around him, careful not to stay on any one face too long.

Eren loved observing people. He loved to look at them, and judge them. It sounded mean, but everyone does it. Everyone judges everyone else. It was just that Eren didn't pretend he didn't judge other people.

He spotted a slightly-familiar shade of black on the park bench. It was Levi, siting there and reading a book. He didn't have Zoe with him. Eren wondered if he should talk to him, or if he should pretend he never saw him in the first place and leave. He chose the latter and started to walk. _Too late_.

"Like what you see, brat?" Levi had felt Eren's eyes on him and turned around, his silver eyes glaring at him. Eren blushed slightly.

"What if I said yes?" Eren asked, letting a bit of sexiness into his voice. He could play that game, too.

Now it was Levi's turn to blush. "Sit down, shitty brat."

Eren sat. He looked over at Levi, who had returned to reading. Why did he want Eren to sit down in the first place? Eren racked his brain for something to say. Levi was doing the same, but definitely not as visually as Eren was. Eren was looking around, putting his hands in his pockets, pulling them out, setting him on his lap, rubbing his neck, then putting them back in the pockets. Finally, the brunette spoke.

"Do you like cheese?" he blurted out. _God dammit!_ Yes, Eren still thought thought Levi was constipated, and yes, cheese could cause constipation. But Eren didn't have to go blurt it out loud! Stupid, stupid!

"What kind of shit question was that?" asked Levi. He stared at the mortified looking teen for a few seconds. Then, he sighed, deciding to show him some pity. "Yes, I like cheese." 

Eren was astonished. He had actually answered the question! He hadn't hit him! Now, Eren had to avoid asking if he was constipated because of all the cheese he ate, because that was sure to get him a punch in the nuts.

They sat there in silence. Eren was nervous, but Levi was on an incredibly interesting part in his book. His attention almost never strayed while he was reading, so why had he noticed the stupid brat? He let his gaze wander over to Eren.

Eren wasn't looking at him, but rather the ducks in the pond. He had to admit, the boy looked good in the light of the sunset.

Levi scowled. Now he was getting all poetic? What _was_ it about Eren? It was most likely that Eren was handsome. Yes, that was it. Levi was a sucker for a pretty face.

Levi almost punched himself. He was most certainly not a sucker for a pretty face. He glanced over at Eren again. What was it? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think being a beta would be fun, so if you want me to beta your fic just hit me up! I'm best at romance and comedy, but I would love to help anyone that wants help!
> 
> Find me on tumblr at temoprary-name.tumblr.com!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the comments and kudos!

Levi stifled a yawn as he headed out. It was almost Halloween, and Zoe wanted to go back to the cosplay cafe for Halloween Day. That was just a few days from now.

Secretly, Levi wanted to go back to the cafe. He would never admit it, though. Now, he didn't feel anything when he looked at Auroro and Petra. Nothing at all. He didn't even feel the need to puke. He didn't know what had happened over the past few days to do that, but he had an idea.

Today was Saturday, a whole week after he had last seen Eren. For some reason, he wanted to see him again. And get to know him. Maybe he would ask him out. Maybe.

Levi felt his legs pull him toward a specific place, and he knew he was going to regret it. But he didn't stop walking.

 

Meanwhile, Eren was working. Today was Kitty Ears Day, another favorite among customers. Boys especially liked this one, but a lot of girls also enjoyed it. Eren didn't really like Kitty Ears Day. He took a huge blow to his pride every time he had to wear those embarrassing ears.

He had noticed a few men who had become regulars. He felt their eyes on him quite a lot. He was only a tad bit worried, and he didn't feel like going through the trouble of telling anyone. He was just being paranoid.

Eren looked over to where horse-face was working. Jean kept glancing around for Armin, who wasn't working today. Eren almost laughed. When Petra had told Jean that Annie was checking Armin out, Jean flipped out. As it turns out, she was just checking out Legout, a boy who looked surprisingly like an evil Armin.

The door jingled, and Eren looked up as Mikasa walked over to the door. There stood Levi, looking surprised that he had ended up there.

And he was. _Why the hell did I come here anyway?_ he asked himself as he was escorted to a table by a raven-haired girl wearing cat ears. He didn't even know whether or not Eren was working today. He scanned the shop for Eren's emerald eyes.

There. Eren was staring at him in shock, his mouth slightly open. Levi suppressed the urge to smirk. The brat actually looked... No. Levi refused to finish the sentence.

Eren pulled himself together and continued working. He glanced at he clock. Only a half hour left of work before his shift was over. Mikasa's as well. He suddenly felt very conscious of his cat ears, reaching up to touch them as he glanced back toward Levi.

He was still staring at Eren, now not even trying to hide his smirk. Eren felt his face go red and turned back around. _I hope this half hour goes by quick_ , he thought as he gave a customer an omelet. She looked at it hungrily.

"Would you like anything to be written in ketchup?" He hoped not. Some people made him write some weird things. And by weird, he meant really weird.

"No, thanks." said the girl, shoveling forkfuls of the omelet into her mouth. He vaguely remembered her from school. Sasha? And who was that she was with? Connie? He didn't remember them eating here before. Maybe they were dating.

Finally, his shift ended. He quickly changed out of his uniform and left. Mikasa was waiting for him. They left the shop together, talking about everyday, ordinary things. But someone else was waiting for him, too. Levi stood next to the entrance. Eren didn't notice him until he had already walked past the short man. He did a double take and swiveled around to meet Levi's less-than-amused face.

"Took you long enough, brat." he scoffed.

"Eren, who's this?" asked Mikasa. Eren opened his mouth to answer.

"L-e-v-i, not R-i-v-i-a-l-l-e." Levi said before Eren could answer.

"And how exactly do you know Eren?" asked Mikasa. Levi narrowed his eyes. He didn't have time to answer stupid questions. _Then why did he have time to go to the cafe?_

"Hey, Eren," he said, "I want to talk to you. Meet me at the park at eight." and with that, he was gone.

"Eren." Mikasa's voice was low. "How do you know him?"

"I don't even really know." said Eren honestly. He hadn't expected to see the older man again, at least not for a while. And especially not at the cosplay cafe. Did he come there just to see Eren? He felt a pang in his chest. No, it was too good to be true.

"Eren, I'll be eating dinner with you and Carla tonight." said Mikasa. "And don't you even think of going to see Levi-not-Rivialle." Mikasa didn't want anyone to take Eren away from her. She knew it was selfish, and she knew Eren was gay. But that didn't mean he wasn't bisexual. Actually, she was almost positive that he was bisexual.

Eren nodded. But inside, he was already anticipating going to see Levi, a small smile slipping onto his face.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bold is text messages, okay?  
> This one is mostly JeanxArmin with a bit of YmirxChrista and, finally, Ereri.

Armin sneezed into the crook of his elbow. He sniffled, wishing he had brought more tissues with him. He had caught a cold, and the cold weather wasn't helping. The only reason he had even went outside on a Saturday was because Jean wanted to see him.

Did you hear that? Jean wanted to see Armin! It was normally the other way around, with Armin feeling depressed and in need of some company other than Mikasa and Eren. He had actually told them about Jean on Friday.

"He'll just break your heart again." Mikasa had said, shaking her head disapprovingly.

"Go for it, Armin. If he hurts you, I'll punch him right in the face." Eren had said. He had made a slightly manly pose to prove it.

Armin smiled at the thought. Then, he glanced around nervously, just in case someone had seen him smiling. There was no one around. Armin sneezed again.

He leaned back. He was standing in front of a nice cafe, not the cosplay cafe he worked at. He suddenly remembered that Jean had work today. Why did he want to meet him at a different cafe if he could stay at the cosplay cafe and not have to move?

Armin glanced at his watch. Jean's shift should have been over. He would be on his way here. Armin wondered if he should go inside. The cold weather was not doing his health any favors, and it was probably warmer inside. As he was thinking, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"How long have you been out here?" asked Jean. He was wearing a hoodie and some loose jeans but he still looked good. Armin smiled.

"Not long." he said. Jean nodded and lead Armin into the cafe.

Once they had been seated, an awkward silence settled on them. Armin fidgeted nervously. He coughed a few times into the crook of his elbow and grabbed a napkin to blow his nose into. His head was pounding, and he was so tired. He hadn't slept much these past few days.

"Have a cold?" asked Jean, raising one eyebrow. Armin remembered the "horse-face" comment Eren always said and looked at Jean. Strangely, Jean did look like a horse. A sexy one. Jean cleared his throat. Armin blushed and nodded.

"It's not bad."

"Sounds pretty bad." Jean frowned, leaning over the table to feel Armin's forehead. Armin felt more heat rush to his face. Jean's hand twitched and he pulled it back.

"Look, about Annie-" he began. He was cut off by the waiter.

"Hello!" he smiled. "I'm Legout, and I'll be your server today!" he did a double take when he saw Armin. They stared blankly at each other for some time.

"Hey, you look like me!" Legout whistled. "I could cause all kinds of shenanigans if I wanted to." He had said it lowly, but Armin and Jean still heard. Legout took their orders and left, still thinking about all of the pranks he could pull.

Armin's head was swimming. He blinked a few times. It wasn't because of Legout. He had already been feeling woozy before he came here. He realized that this was a bad idea, coming out here to see Jean in such bad weather.

"I need to use the bathroom." Armin said, getting up. He walked into the bathroom and shut the door. He leaned against it, shutting his eyes tightly. Had Jean been saying something? He hadn't heard. In fact, Jean had been saying something.

"I think I want to get back-" Jean had blurted out before Armin jumped up and practically ran to the bathroom. Did he not want to get back together? Sighing in frustration, Jean leaned back in his chair.

He had denied his feelings for Armin for such a long time. Even while they were dating, he denied it, saying that he was just messing with the cute blonde. But that was the thing. He added "cute" whenever he said it. And Mikasa didn't appeal to him anymore.

At first, she was so powerful, so fiery and brilliant that Jean couldn't help but fall for her. But as he got to know Armin, Mikasa had seemed less and less interesting. And now Jean wanted to get back with Armin. For good. But what was taking him so long? It didn't take ten minutes to take a dump.

Jean got up and walked over to the bathroom. He knocked on the door. No answer. Jean began to panic, twisting the handle.  He threw the door open and gasped.

* * *

 

Christa smiled as she leaned into Ymir. They were watching a cheesy romance, and Christa had the feeling she would cry. Ymir had anticipated that, and brought tissues. Christa smiled gratefully up at Ymir, who leaned down and kissed her before the movie began. A girl with long blonde hair began to sing on screen. 

Christa's phone buzzed and she looked at it, earning a slightly annoyed look from Ymir. The blonde smiled apologetically as she looked at the text.

**Your dad is back. Be careful.**

A text from her mom. Christa's eyes widened and her throat seemed to close, but she put the phone away and pretended as if it were nothing. She ignored the throbbing in her head the mention of her father had summoned. She didn't need Ymir worrying about her.

* * *

 

Eren barely payed attention to the conversation Mikasa and Carla were having, putting in a few "Mm-hm"s and "Yeah"s every once in a while. He noticed Mikasa looking at him with a stern expression. He almost shrank from her gaze, but didn't. He was just too excited. He flashed her a dazzling smile instead.

After dinner finally ended, Eren made a beeline for the door. Mikasa grabbed his arm.

"Are you going to see Levi-not-Rivialle?" she asked seriously. Eren sighed.

"Yes." he said. "Please don't tell Mom." After a few long moments, Mikasa sighed and let Eren's arm go.

"Fine." she said. "But don't let him do anything weird." Eren grinned and nodded enthusiastically, running out the door and forcing himself to slow to a walk as he neared the park.

It was only 7:42. What was he going to do until Levi showed up? He really couldn't do much of anything. He sat down on the bench he had previously seen Levi on and waited, watching the ducks in front of him. His eyes began to droop, and Eren forced himself to stay awake. He slapped himself a few times. Still, he ended up letting his head fall and going into a deep sleep.

Levi arrived at the park a few minutes later, a bit too early. But hell, what was he going to do until eight? He started walking toward the bench and was surprised to find the brunette already there.

_Why is he sleeping in a place like that?_ Levi asked himself. Eren looked peaceful, so much so that Levi didn't want to wake him up. He sighed, taking off his jacket and laying it on the sleeping teen.

_He looks kind of..._ Levi hesitated. He didn't want to finish the sentence. He didn't want to. No. _Cute._ God dammit.

Levi let himself ruffle the boy's hair. He couldn't feel it through his gloves, but he knew it was soft. He stopped cold when he saw the teen's eyelids open a fraction, then widen.

"L-Levi?"


	6. Chapter 6

Levi pulled his hand back quickly, hoping Eren hadn't noticed. Eren reached up to touch his hair, a faint blush dusting his cheeks. God fucking dammit. He had felt it. Levi grabbed his coat and put it on.

"Eren." Levi said, his voice low. Eren jumped.

"Yes?"

"Why do you work at a cosplay cafe?" Levi asked. Honestly, he had just pulled the question out of his ass in order to avoid being questioned himself. Eren looked surprised. He thought for a moment.

"It's fun. Everyone (mostly everyone) is really nice, and it's close to home." he said. Eren was happy with his answer. Yes, it would be more manly to work at, say, a video game store, but since when did Eren care about gender roles?

"What about you, Levi?" asked Eren. "Do you have a job?"

Levi shook his head. "I haven't had the time to look for one."

Eren frowned. "You should find one."

How was Levi supposed to support himself without a job? Eren just wanted to help his parents pay the bills, but a man in college should have a job.

"Don't worry about it." said Levi, looking away.

"Hey, Levi." Eren said, reaching out to pull on Levi's sleeve, then pulling his hand back. His heart started pounding, but...

"What is it?" Levi asked.

"Here's my phone number." Eren pulled out a piece of paper with a number already written on it. "You know, in case you want to call sometime." Eren's face was red.

Levi smiled and put the number in his jacket. After all, he did want to get to know the boy. What better way than to call him? Levi considered telling Eren his number, but he didn't remember it. Oh, well. Levi glanced at his watch. A half hour had already passed by. Strange, it only felt like thirteen poorly written paragraphs. Levi was starting to get chilly.

"Hey, we should go home." Levi said. "It's cold." Eren nodded, looking slightly disappointed. Levi ruffled his hair in an attempt to cheer him up.

"I'll call you, then." he said, his stoic mask momentarily slipping, only to be immediately put back. Eren nodded and smiled, whistling on his way back home.

* * *

 

"Armin?!" Jean shouted. Armin was laying on the floor, passed out. Jean knelt down, trying his hardest not to panic. He gripped Armin's shoulders. Armin was pale, and sweating. What had happened? The cold couldn't have been that bad!

"Wake up, Armin!" Jean shook the blonde. He sputtered, his brown eyes looking up at Jean. Wait, brown?

"I need..." he whispered, so quietly that Jean could barely hear him. Jean leaned in closer. "A tailor."

Jean slowly moved away and stared at the blonde below him. Oh, no.

"Because I ripped my pants!" Legout tore the wig off his head and laughed.

"Legout?" asked Jean incredulously. "Where's Armin?"

Legout started laughing harder. "Come on out, Armin."

Armin stepped out of a bathroom stall and bit his lip nervously.

"Sorry, Jean." he said, looking at the floor. "Legout came into the bathroom with a blonde wig on and pushed me into the stall. It wasn't my idea, I swear."

"Then why didn't you come out?" asked Jean angrily.

"I..." Armin looked away. "I was scared."

Jean's face softened a bit. "Hey, let's get out of here." Armin nodded and bit his lip again, following Jean out of the bathroom.

_I'm going to kill Legout if I ever see him again_ , though Jean. Armin sneezed again. He did have a cold, but not a bad enough cold to make him pass out. What had Jean been thinking? He shook his head.

Armin smiled inwardly. "Jean," he said, not looking at the taller man.

"What is it, Armin?" asked Jean, his voice still sounding slightly annoyed. 

"Nothing."

* * *

 

Levi stared at his phone. He was agonizing over calling the stupid teen, or even texting him. Wouldn't it seem a bit desperate to call him within two hours of getting his number? On the other hand, if he texted him it would seem as if he was just giving Eren his number back. Deciding on that, Levi sent Eren a quick text.

**Hey, it's Levi.**

After he hit send, he immediately wanted to punch himself. How stupid could he sound?

"Rivialle!" a deep voice yelled from in the kitchen.

"What, Irwin?" yelled Levi. Irwin was his brother, and he was currently dating Zoe. He lived in her house most of the time, but sometimes he would stop by Levi's apartment and cook.

"The tacos are done!" Irwin yelled back. Levi sighed and walked out to the kitchen, tucking his phone into his pocket. Levi shuttered when he saw his counter.

"Irwin, clean up your mess." Irwin had gotten meat, lettuce, and sauce all over Levi's nice clean counter.

As they were eating, Levi's phone buzzed. He didn't read the text during dinner. Last time Levi read a text at dinner, Irwin had broken his phone in half.

"Zoe keeps asking me to pluck my eyebrows." Irwin was rambling. "They're not that bad, right?"

Levi just raised his eyebrow in response, earning a frustrated sigh from his brother.

Finally, dinner was over and Irwin left. Levi pulled his phone out of his pocket and read the text.

**Levi! i was wondering, r u free anytime soon?**

Levi smirked. So the brat wanted to go on a date, eh?

**I'm free Saturday.**

He waited for Eren to answer, cleaning up the mess his brother had failed to get rid of. Really, it wasn't that hard to wipe off a friggin' counter. After he was done, he checked his phone again and smiled.

**Then can u meet me at the museum? ive been wanting to go.**

Levi replied and set his phone down, walking into his room ant snuggling up in his nice, clean sheets.

**It's a date.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments and reviews! They make my day! 
> 
> And also again, find me on tumblr at temporary-name.tumblr.com!


	7. Chapter 7

Eren stood in front of the museum, shivering slightly. Halloween day at the cafe was tomorrow, so he wanted to do something before working all day. A day at the museum with his new friend seemed like a perfect idea. He just hoped his costume wouldn't be too revealing at the cafe.

But it was cold. And Levi was five minutes late. Eren considered going into the museum without him. But then again, wouldn't he look weird walking into a museum all by himself?

While Eren was having his internal monologue, Levi walked up to him and frowned. What was the brat thinking about that would distract him from Levi? He reached up and flicked the taller boy in the forehead. Eren yelped and stepped backward, hitting his back against the wall of the museum. He rubbed his forehead, pouting.

"What was that for?" Eren asked, sounding a bit hurt.

"You were zoning off." Levi said. "Let's go."

Inside the museum, Eren's mouth seemed to be unable to close. He gaped at everything there, oohing and aahing at the giant fossils and interesting displays. Levi didn't understand, but as long as Eren was having fun, he was fine.

_What was he thinking_? He had barely known this kid for a week. He looked up at Eren.

Eren was reading the display on... nephilim? It was about children of angels who also happened to be like giant humans. Levi didn't think this kind of stuff was supposed to be in a museum. Wasn't putting religious stuff like that in a museum illegal?

Sure, Eren didn't seem too smart, or too clean, or too graceful. But he was powerful and stubborn, and kind. Levi could see that much. Eren caught Levi looking and smiled. They spent the next few hours there, talking about nothing and staring at displays. Finally, Eren got tired and wanted to leave.

"You could spend a whole week in a museum if you wanted to." observed Levi when they left. Eren blushed.

"I suppose." He smiled. Then, Eren heard a noise.

"What was that?" he asked, following the sound into a small alley. A small, dark grey cat crawled out and began to rub against Eren. He grinned and started petting it. It's fur was amazingly soft.

"You don't know how filthy that thing is." Levi said in disgust, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah." was Eren's only answer. "I think I want to keep it."

"What?" Levi asked in surprise. "You want to keep a cat you just found on the streets?"

"I want to keep it. It looks hungry." Eren said, picking the cat up. "It's a her. I'll name her Kyojin."

"Is that even a proper name?" asked Levi, scratching his head. Which was something Eren might be doing in a bit if he didn't put that cat down. Or at least wash it.

"Now it is." Eren carried the cat back to the museum and started home.

"Will your parents let you keep a cat?" Levi asked. It seemed as if Eren had just spontaneously decided that he wanted a cat. Were his parents allergic?

"Maybe." Eren said, frowning slightly. "I hope so." Levi sighed. This was a stupid mistake.

"I'll take it." he said. He wanted to take back the words, but there was no going back now. Eren's face brightened.

"Really? Can I come visit?" Eren realized what he had just said and heat rushed to his cheeks. Levi just smirked.

"Of course."

They bought the litter box, litter, and food while they were still out. Eren insisted on paying, and Levi obliged reluctantly. Would it really be worth getting a fucking cat just to see the stupid brat again? He could always go to the cafe to see him...

"Thank you so much, Levi!" Before Eren could think, he had thrown his arms around Levi in an embrace. Levi stiffened, but relaxed and let himself be hugged.

"Whatever."

* * *

 

Christa would look over her shoulder every time she was in public now. She would analyze the face of every man she passed, and jump at every bit of contact that wasn't with Ymir. Thankfully, Ymir hadn't noticed how jumpy Christa had gotten. Ymir was still Ymir, complaining about Reiner and Bertholdt and Annie, and stomping around angrily all the time. Just like always.

Christa was desperate to keep it that way. Maybe her father wouldn't find her. Maybe he wouldn't find her mom. Maybe they would be safe.

But maybe they wouldn't. Maybe she would have to report him to the police, no matter how against it she was. She knew Ymir would report him if he even showed up at their house. Christa wished that there was someone other than Ymir she could go to.

Reiner? Eren? Armin? She shook her head.

She was on her own.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I haven't updated in a while! Sorry~
> 
> Ha ha, have fun with this one. I'll upload the next chapter later today.

Levi scowled as Hanji dragged him into the cafe. She had brought Irwin, who was scowling as well. She was raving about how much she loved Halloween and how much she loved Halloween costumes.

Inside the cafe, they had decorated the place with cobwebs, fake spiders, and tombstones. They had orange and black streamers and little pumpkins hanging from the ceiling. Levi found himself scanning for Eren.

There. The brunette was dressed as a vampire, saying cheesy lines that made him sound like a dork. A really... cute dork.

Levi sat down with Hanji and Irwin. Those two never acted lovey-dovey around people, because they never felt the need to. Hanji would occasionally say something that made Irwin blush, and the other way around, but all together it didn't disgust Levi.

Christa ended up being their waitress. She was dressed up as a kitty ears maid, which really wasn't that bad. She took their order and left.

Levi spotted Mikasa glaring at him out of the corner of his eye. She was dressed as a pirate.

 

 

Eren glanced over at Levi's table every once in a while. It was a bit embarrassing having Levi see him in a costume, but at least he didn't have kitty ears. Or a horse mask. He smirked as he looked over at Jean, who had been voted to wear the horse mask by everyone, even Christa. The customers were giggling, and it took every ounce of Jean's will not to smack them.

Eren would also glance at the table in the back. The men there wouldn't take their eyes off him, and it worried Eren. He didn't want to bother anyone, though, so he kept quiet. They got up and left after about a half hour.

Eren noticed that the trash was full. He sighed, knowing that no one else was going to take it out. He pulled the heavy trash bag out of the can and carried it outside.

There were three men out there smoking. The three men from the table in the back,he realized. Eren regarded them warily as he set the trash bag down next to the others. They looked at him, then at each other. Grins spread across their faces, and Eren's blood ran cold. He needed to get back inside, quickly.

"Hey." one of them said, blowing a puff of smoke out.

"Hello." Eren said as calmly as possible.

"You know..." the man began, closing the distance between Eren and himself. Eren's back hit the wall. "You're really cute."

"Thank you." Eren said, his voice sounding strained. "Now, if you'll excuse me..." Eren tried to duck underneath the man's arm.

"Not so fast." the man said, smirking. Eren felt a flash of panic before he felt a sharp pain on his head and everything was swallowed by darkness.

* * *

 

Levi frowned. Eren still hadn't come back inside the cafe. How long did it take to take out the trash?

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He stood up and went outside before answering. It was Eren.

"Help." he heard Eren whisper. Levi felt his stomach drop.

"What? What is it? Where are you?" Levi asked urgently, trying not to panic.

"Um..." He heard a bit of shuffling. "We just stopped at that one trashy building by Walmart."

Levi knew the one.

"I'll be right there." he said, shutting his phone and shoving it in his pocket. Hanji was the one who had driven them there, so driving was out. _Shit, shit, shit. Shit!_

Levi ran.

* * *

 

Eren sat on the floor of the shoddy building, his hands and feet bound. His kidnappers were off talking about god knows what.

Eren was panicking. What if Levi didn't come? What if Eren was stuck here? One of the men walked toward him, and Eren resisted the urgge shuffle backwards.

"You look so cute, bound and helpless like that." he said, smirking. Eren hated him. He scowled.

"Let me go." his voice broke in the middle of the sentence, making him sound as scared as he was, and he didn't like that. He didn't want them to know he was scared.

"Now, why would I do that?" the man grinned. He pulled Eren up roughly by his hair. Eren let out a yelp.

Their faces were inches apart. Eren tried to pull away, but the man's grip on his hair was too painful. The man leaned forward, their lips now centimeters apart. Eren could feel the man's warm breath on his face. The man moved forward, just a bit, and...


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry

The man's eyes widened in surprise as a foot collided with his head. He fell to the side, hitting his head on the floor with a loud crack. Eren looked up in surprise and relief, happy that Levi had gotten there before the man had managed to take away his first kiss.

Levi stood there, pure anger showing in his eyes, his expression, and his stance. He walked forward and kicked the guy again, in his stomach this time.

"Filthy piece of shit." he growled as he kicked him again. The other two ran out, nearly screaming in fright. Eren scooted away in order to avoid getting kicked himself. He was glad Levi had shown up, but Levi was taking it too far.

"Levi!" Eren yelled. Levi stopped, turning his head toward Eren. Eren shrank from the fury he saw in Levi's gaze.

"Stop. Any more and you'll kill him."

"And you think he deserves anything less?" Levi practically spat. Eren flinched.

"Just let him go." Eren said. Levi stared at him.

Was this boy serious?! Levi had come all this way, gotten sweaty and gross, and nearly had a heart attack, and Eren wanted him to stop?! Eren kept his gaze steady.

Finally, Levi sighed. He stepped back. The man groaned in pain, but got up and ran despite his most likely broken ribs. Eren made a note to memorize his face. He hoped he would be able to recognize him without all of the blood on his face.

Levi untied Eren's wrists, and Eren set to work on his ankles, feeling Levi's gaze on him. It was no longer filled with fury. Now, it was more filled with... thoughtfulness, like he was thinking about something.

Eren stood up shakily. He could do this. He was strong. He walked toward the door, Levi following close behind.

"Thank you." Eren said, smiling. It was a genuine smile. A light blush dusted Levi's cheeks.

"Whatever."

"Oi, brat." Levi said once they reached the street.

"What is it?" asked Eren, turning toward Levi. Levi stood on his toes and brushed his lips across Eren's, causing him to freeze. Levi's lips were soft on his. Levi pulled back all too soon.

Eren's face was bright red. His first kiss! Levi studied Eren's face and smirked, turning around and heading for his apartment. He wasn't even going to bother trying to go back to the cafe.

Eren, however, had a lot of explaining to do. Trying to forget the feeling of Levi's lips on his, he started walking toward the cafe. He wasn't going to tell anybody about this kidnapping other than his boss. He didn't want to worry anyone.

* * *

 

Jean pulled the horse mask off. His face was sweaty from being stuck in there all day. And Eren had disappeared halfway! What a bastard.

Armin was taking off his butler costume. Jean couldn't help but watch. Armin caught his gaze and Jean blushed, looking away. Armin felt a smirk spread across his face as he finished changing and left, Jean following behind him.

It was still cold outside, and Armin was still sick. He didn't have snot running out of his nose anymore, but he still had headaches and was unable to breathe properly. He couldn't wait until it got warmer, but it was still October.

Jean and Armin ended up riding the same train home. They lived near each other, so it would be strange to do anything else. They kept sneaking glances at one another, sometimes meeting each other's gaze and dropping their own. Finally, the train ride ended and Jean and Armin started to go their separate ways.

As Armin began to leave, he felt Jean tug on his sleeve. He sniffled and turned around.

"Armin." Jean said, his face turning serious, then reddening. "Um... Do you want to get back together?"

Armin couldn't believe what he was hearing. Happiness surged up within him and he lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Jean. Jean stiffened, then relaxed and snaked his arms around Armin.

"Yes," Armin breathed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short, short, short. But two chapters in one day!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This thing exploded while I was sleeping, wow! Thank you so much for all the positive feedback!
> 
> This chapter also has one sided EreMika, just so you know.

Eren sat at the table with Armin, Mikasa, Carla, and Grisha. Grisha was back from his business trip, and had even bought them all souvenirs. Eren, of course, had been allowed to invite his two closest friends, who had also gotten souvenirs. They were just cheap things, like snow globes and tee-shirts, but they were presents none the less.

Armin and Mikasa sat on either side of Eren, Mikasa slightly closer to him than Armin. Eren didn't notice, but Armin did. He had known his friends long enough to be able to tell every little thing about them, especially crushes. But didn't Mikasa know that Eren was gay? She should.

Armin frowned. He didn't want Mikasa to be heartbroken, but he also didn't want to have to talk to her about it. But after the party, he did it anyway.

"Eren seemed so happy that Grisha was back." said Mikasa happily. "He told me about how lonely the house felt with just him and Carla. He said she was too into her book to talk."

"Mikasa." Armin said slowly, getting right down to buisness. "How do you feel about Eren?"

"Like a brother-" began Mikasa. Armin held up his hand.

"Really," Armin said seriously. Mikasa stared at him for a few moments, her face unreadable.

"I..." she began, turning her face away. "I love him. Not like a brother. Not at all." she laughed a little. It was a forced laugh.

Armin was silent. For a long time, the only sound to be heard was crunching leaves underneath their feet. Mikasa pulled her scarf up to cover her face. It was a scarf that Eren had given Mikasa long ago, when her parents had died and she had no one left in the world. Until a little brunette came by, wrapping a scarf around her face and saying, "You look cold!"

"Mikasa-" he began, but was cut off.

"I know, OK? I know." she said, her voice wavering. "I can't change how I feel. I love him, and he thinks of me as a sister. As long as I can keep it a secret, at least I'll always be a sister to him. At least I can have that. Don't tell him."

Armin was shocked. Mikasa was always so strong, for her to be wavering like this...

"I'm sorry." Armin said quietly. Mikasa gave Armin a sad smile and walked away, her scarf swaying as she moved and leaves crunching beneath her.

* * *

 

Levi stared at Kyojin. Levi had been in a rather comfortable position, reading a book and eating pocky. Then, the cat had crawled into his lap and fallen asleep. Levi didn't want to get up and wake him, but he didn't want to stay in that position any longer. His neck was starting to hurt.

He moved slightly, trying not to wake the sleeping cat. Her green eyes - much like Eren's - opened anyway. She stood up and stretched, digging her claws into Levi's stomach as she did so. Then, she jumped off. Levi sighed. The cat had been warm.

He was actually starting to like her, after the original feeling of hating it's guts as it pissed all over the house. As soon as she learned how to use the litter box, Levi had started to like Kyojin more and more. He heard a knock on the door and stifled a groan. Who would be visiting him? Irwin? Zoe?

He got up and answered the door, cursing under his breath for the inconvenience. Eren stood there, his nose and cheeks still red from the cold. Levi raised his eyebrows. It had only been three days, and already the brat wanted to see him again?

"Um," Eren said, his face turning redder than it already was. "I was hoping I could see Kyojin."

"Come in." Levi said, opening the door wider so that Eren could get in. Secretly, he was disappointed that Eren hadn't come to see him. He made sure his face didn't show it.

"Wow, it's really... clean." observed Eren, looking around. The apartment was spotless, with barely any furniture other than a black couch and a tv. The walls were white, as was most of the apartment.

He glanced back at Levi. The cat had been a good cover up for coming to see Levi. He could tell that Levi believed him completely, since the older man's excitement had gone down considerably when Eren had said so. He could tell by the tone of voice Levi used.

"And keep it that way." Levi warned with a deadly glare. Eren laughed nervously. Kyojin padded toward them and rubbed against Eren's leg, purring. Eren smiled and picked her up.

"Well, sit down." Levi said irritably. gesturing to his couch. Eren sat down hesitantly, not wanting to ruin it. He could feel Levi's gaze as he pet Kyojin, who rubbed her head on Eren's cheek. Eren laughed in delight.

_Damn_ , thought Levi, looking away to hide the blush creeping onto his face, _I want to kiss him_.

This was going to be a long evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's pretty short, so I'll upload two again today. You can expect the next chapter in a few hours or so.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized that I hadn't been doing much of Ymir and Christa, so...

Eren felt the couch dip to the left as Levi sat down beside him. Right beside him. Eren tried to ignore the warmth radiating from the older man as he pulled his hand away from Kyojin, trying not to get scratched.

"Oi, brat." Levi said, monotone. Eren turned his head and pulled back in shock. Levi's face was inches away from his. Eren felt a blush rise on his cheeks as he tried to scoot away, his head hitting the arm of the couch. Levi leaned over, his face now centimeters from Eren's. Eren's poor gay heart was beating fast.

He closed the distance between them. Eren stilled beneath Levi as their lips touched. What was happening? What was he supposed to do? He tried to turn his head, but Levi wrapped a hand around the back of Eren's head, pulling him closer. His other arm supported him. He leaned in, trying to deepen the kiss, but Eren was still frozen. Why the hell wasn't the brat reacting?!

Eren's mind was whirling. Why was Levi kissing him again? He didn't know how to kiss. He was pretty sure his lips were chapped, too. That couldn't feel good compared to Levi's soft lips. Should he wrap his arm around Levi? They felt awkward at his sides, one of them pressed against the back of the couch. He felt something wet probe at his lips and snapped back into reality. Roughly, he pushed Levi away.

Or, he tried to push Levi away. His arms were weak. It broke the kiss, anyway.

Levi stopped and pulled up, mostly for air. Eren's face was bright red. He smirked. Just then, the door opened and Irwin and Hanji walked in. Eren immediately realized what position they were in. Levi on top of him, Eren's face beet red, Levi's face with a slight blush...

Hanji squealed. Levi got up, running his hands through his hair. Eren tried to compose himself, and found that he couldn't look Levi in the eye. Hanji was jumping up and down, squealing and talking excitedly to Levi, who had an exceptionally irritated expression. Irwin looked from Levi to Eren, shook his head slightly, and smiled.

"I'm glad you've found someone." he said. "I was starting to get worried, since you haven't gotten a lay in a while."

Eren couldn't take it. Now he was being referred to as a lay? He had to get out of there. With a mumbled apology, he left. It was cold outside, and Eren had left his scarf at Levi's. _Shit_! He didn't want to go back while Levi still had company, so he kept walking. He would have to get it another day.

Levi glared at Irwin. Irwin raised a huge eyebrow. "What? You haven't."

"You shouldn't refer to my guests as 'lays', he's not a fucking chip," said Levi angrily. "What did you want?"

"We brought pizza." Levi's interest was immediately piqued. Hanji stifled a laugh as Levi's eyes brightened.

"That doesn't excuse it." said Levi, grabbing the box that had gone unnoticed until now out of Irwin's hands. Irwin smiled as Levi opened the box and pulled a piece out.

"I really am happy for you." said Irwin seriously. Levi thought for a minute.

"I think... I am too." The fact that Eren hadn't pushed him away for a few paragraphs had to mean something, right? Maybe, just maybe, he would ask the brat out. Maybe.

* * *

 

Christa hadn't been herself lately. Ymir could tell by the way her eyes shifted around where ever she went, how she always seemed to be watching her back and jumped at the slightest noise. What was going on with her cute girlfriend?

Ymir tapped Christa on the shoulder. She was currently making dinner, which was stew tonight. She turned around, her face red from the heat.

"Are you hiding something?" asked Ymir bluntly. Christa's eyes widened and she dropped her spoon, fumbling with it for a few minutes. Finally, she calmed down, looking Ymir in the eye.

"No." she said unconvincingly. Ymir raised her eyebrows. Christa sighed.

"Fine." she said. "My... father's back." her voice wavered. Ymir's eyes widened.

"And you didn't tell me because...?"

"I didn't want to worry you." Christa said quietly, averting her eyes. Ymir sighed, running her hand through her hair.

"You know I'll always be here for you, right? No matter what." Ymir looked a bit hurt. "I'll protect you."

Christa sighed, leaning into Ymir and feeling her strong arms wrap around her. "I know."


	12. Chapter 12

Armin and Jean walked out of the movie theater. They had just gone to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, and both of them had laughed a little. A little. Mostly, they had felt embarrassed by all of the stares they were getting. It seemed as if it wasn't socially acceptable to kiss your boyfriend in public.

Jean tried, and each time he got disapproving glares from parents and curious glances from kids. Like, really. They weren't that interesting.

Armin still had his cold. He was hesitant to even breathe too close to Jean because he didn't want to get Jean sick. It was kind if pissing Jean off. Didn't that boy ever take medicine?

They stopped at an ice cream place, but only because Jean insisted. Armin didn't like sweets much. Jean tried to buy Armin some, but Armin refused, crinkling up his nose.

"What's that big book you've been lugging around school?" asked Jean. Armin's eyes immediately lit up.

"It's a book about the ocean." Armin said excitedly. Jean smiled.

"You still want to see it that badly?" asked Jean. Armin nodded eagerly.

"I still don't see why. It's just a big puddle of water." Armin frowned.

"I guess it's because my parents used to dream about it, and save up so we could go, even once..." Armin trailed off.

His parents had died when he was about six, along with Mikasa's mother. They had ended up staying at Eren's house for a while, and now they were both living in small apartments, paying for it using money from various jobs and small donations from Grisha and Carla. Being the way they were, both Armin and Mikasa tried to refuse the money, seeing as Grisha and Carla were considerably poor as well.

"Hmm..." Jean thought for a minute. "Maybe we can save up and go on a trip to the beach sometime. Maybe."

Jean didn't think it was possible for Armin to look happier.

"Really?"

"Mm-hm." Jean said, finishing his ice cream and tossing his napkin in the trash. Armin grinned and stood on his tip-toes, pressing his lips against Jean's. Jean was surprised at first, then relaxed and let himself wrap his arms around Armin, pulling him closer.

They stayed like that for a while, standing in front of the ice cream shop and kissing, until Armin got a foot cramp. Laughing, they walked away.

Legout had been in the shop the whole time, and had gone unnoticed by them. He usually did. He also noticed Sasha and Connie sitting at a table together, as well as Reiner, Bertholdt, and Annie sitting at another table. He could have some fun with this.

* * *

 

**What's your address?**

Eren didn't know how to respond to the text. Why did Levi want his address? Perhaps to return the scarf.

**i can get the scarf myself, u know**

Eren sent the message and leaned back. He had been doing homework, which he didn't really feel like doing anyway. His phone beeped.

**It's fine. I'll bring it.**

Persistent bastard. Eren reluctantly told him his address and sat back again, anxiously waiting for a reply.

**I'll drop it off tonight. How does eight sound?**

He really was a persistent bastard! Eren agreed, even though he knew his parents would be home. There was no harm in having a friend return a jacket, right?

The hours passed slowly after that. He hated to admit it, but he was both excited and terrified of seeing Levi again. He had pushed him away that morning. Eren was regretting it afterward, but what's done is done.

Finally, at exactly eight, Eren heard the doorbell ring. Carla got up to answer.

"No, Mom!" Eren shouted, running for the door. "I'll get it!"

Eren opened the door. Levi had a heavy coat on due to the rapidly changing weather. And he thought it was cold before! He held Eren's scarf in his hands. The teen held out his hands and Levi plopped the scarf into them.

"Oi, Eren." Levi said. "I want to ask you something."

"Yes?" asked Eren, shivering. He had worn nothing but his long-sleeved shirt and jeans, and it was freezing outside.

"Want to go on a date?" he asked. Eren froze. Another date with Levi? The idea sounded wonderful.

"Yes." Eren nodded as he said it. Levi leaned in and brushed his lips against Eren's softly.

Eren heard a barely audible gasp behind him and spun around, coming face to face with his shocked and disgusted looking parents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffy???? Cl???? iffy???????????
> 
> Yeah. I'll probably upload again later today.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit hits the fan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry

Eren's mouth opened and closed, causing him to resemble a gaping fish. Levi watch Eren questioningly. What was the brat freaking out so much about? His parents' faces were red from _some_ sort of emotion, Levi could tell, but he couldn't tell which emotion.

Then, Eren was hauled inside by an angry looking man and the door slammed. Levi stared at the door in bewilderment. What the hell?

 

"Who was that?!" shouted Grisha angrily. Eren's parents were visibly upset, Grisha looking furious and Carla looking heartbroken. Eren panicked.

"Marco." he blurted. _Shit_ , he thought, _Sorry, Marco_.

"We never want to see this 'Marco' again!" his father yelled. "Or we may never see you in heaven!"

Carla sobbed. Eren was feeling terrified and sad at once, which wasn't a good combination. He knew his parents were homophobic, but he hadn't expected them to react like this!

"It's just... wrong." Grisha fumed, looking disgusted. Carla nodded in agreement. "It's not right. It's gross. I won't have Marco dragging you down to hell with him!"

"But, Dad, it's not really-" Eren began, trying to plead with his father, to get him to understand. It wasn't gross at all. It didn't affect Grisha's life in any way who Eren dated and who he didn't. But his parents didn't get it.

"It is!" Grisha yelled. Eren felt tears prick at his eyes.

"And.. I can't believe you would date a man." He said the word as if he were Draco Malfoy saying 'Mudbloods'. 

Eren stayed silent. He didn't know what to do. What should he do in a situation like this? In the end, he just stood there an took it, every word feeling like a knife in his chest. When they were done, they forbid him from seeing "Marco" again. Eren nodded and walked into his room, flopping onto his bed. His phone was beeping. He picked it up with a sigh.

**What the hell was that?**

Eren stared at the message for a few minutes, then tossed his phone aside, burying his face in his pillows and falling into a fitful sleep.

 

The next day, Eren was working. His parents had been against it.

"What if Marco works there?"

Mikasa had looked at them with confusion before saying, "Marco doesn't work there."

And so, Eren could work. Just his luck, both Levi and Marco were there. Eren tried to ignore Levi's piercing gaze. He instead served Marco, who Mikasa was currently glaring at. She thought that Marco had been bullying Eren or something, which was strange, because Marco was Freckled Jesus. Eren caught Jean staring at Marco, but decided against telling Armin.

"Oi, brat!" Eren heard when his shift was over. He had walked out with Mikasa. Levi was standing with his back against the wall, looking pissed.

"Eren," Mikasa said, "What's Levi-not-Rivialle doing here?"

Levi chose to ignore her comment.

"Hey, why didn't you text me back?" Eren felt a stabbing pain in his chest and bit his lip, looking away.

"B-because... because I didn't want to." Levi's eyebrows rose.

"And why not?" Eren balled his fists, looking anywhere but Levi. Mikasa noticed his hesitation and stepped up.

"Hey, don't bully him." she said.

"Bully?" asked Levi, clearly confused. Hadn't Eren just told him that he wanted to go on another date?

Eren ran away, and Mikasa followed, shouting questions at him.

Levi ran a hand through his hair. Why wasn't the teen talking to him? Had he done something wrong? Was the scarf not clean enough?

Frustrated, Levi walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short buuuut I gave you two! So yay
> 
> Find me on tumblr at temporary-name.tumblr.com!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: HELLA ANGST

Jean felt a stinging pain as Armin slapped him, not looking the least bit sorry for what he did. 

Armin saw Jean flirting Freckled Jesus. Of course he would get angry! But Jean just had to go and pour lemon juice on the wound, saying, "I couldn't help it!" and "Come on, you know he's good looking!"

During that, Ymir had walked by and scowled. "That's not how you apologize, dumbass." she had said, putting her hands on her hips.

_Marco's freckle twin. Great._ Jean had mimicked her scowl.

"There's nothing to apologize for."

Ymir made a disgusted look and left. That's when Armin slapped him across his face, letting his emotions out in a harsher way than he would have liked.

"Jean..." Armin said, his voice breaking. Jean's eyes widened. Was Armin... crying?

Yes, tears streamed down the smaller boy's face, making it red and blotchy. Armin's hair fell around his face as he lowered his head, his shoulders shaking.

"Armin-" Jean started, stepping forward. Armin stepped back.

"No, Jean." Armin shook his head. "I can't do this anymore. I can't sit through you flirting with every moderate looking man that walks by."

"What?" asked Jean, looking like he had just been run over by a truck.

"I can't!" Armin screamed, drawing attention. He ran away, swiping tears away. He wasn't going to let Jean hurt him anymore. He just couldn't bear it. It was too painful.

Jean ran a hand through his hair. What the hell?! What the ever-loving fuck was going through Armin's mind? He was just checking Marco out! That was it! He hadn't tried to kiss him or anything. What was Armin getting so goddamn angry about?!

Just then, poor unlucky Marco walked by. He stopped by Jean, who wouldn't have noticed him if he hadn't. Poor, poor Marco.

"Are you OK?" he asked, being as nice as he is. Jean looked up at Marco and stared for a minute. Then, he made quite possibly the worst mistake of his life.

He grabbed Marco's shirt, pulling him forward and crushing their lips together. Marco made a small noise of surprise. Jean felt... wrong. Marco wasn't Armin. Actually, he felt sick. He pulled back and nodded. That was all the proof he needed. Not to prove anything to Armin, but to himself.

"What?" asked Marco, his face flushed and his shirt rumpled. Jean patted him on the shoulder, causing Marco to jump.

"Sorry." said Jean, running in the direction Armin had gone. He made up his mind. He was going to fix this.

* * *

 

Eren knew that he shouldn't avoid Levi because of his parents. He knew that he should have told Mikasa or Armin. He knew that he should come out to his parents for real, even if it meant he was going to be kicked out. He knew, and yet...

Eren jumped as his phone beeped for the thirteenth time. Another text from Levi. Most of the text he had been receiving were from the older man, but some of them were from Mikasa. He hadn't answered any of them. He didn't want them feeling sorry for him. He could do this himself. He could tell his parents flat out, he could take whatever they threw at him (perhaps literally), and he could do it alone.

Recently, before the incident, Eren had been feeling... strangely toward Levi. His heart fluttered when he was around him. When Levi smiled, and that was rare, Eren had felt happier inside, giddy, even. And he hadn't even known the man but for a few weeks.

Eren got up, throwing on his scarf and walking out the door, not bothering to tell his parents he was leaving.

He thought that this feeling was something special. Sure, many people experienced it. But to him, it was special. He might be in love with Levi. He would tell his parents. Not today, but sometime soon. He would tell them. And he would be free.

 

Meanwhile, Levi threw his phone onto the bed in frustration. What the hell? What did he do? Did he say something? Was Eren afraid of him? It sure didn't seem like it. Levi threw himself down onto his perfectly made bed, rumpling the sheets and, oddly enough, not caring.

Yeah, he had feelings for the damn brat. Maybe he would have told him if Eren wasn't ignoring him. Levi got up, putting on his heavy coat. He walked out into the halls and outside, hoping for some fresh air. He needed it.

He walked down the street, not sure where he was going. He blew out a puff of air, watching as the small cloud dissipated. It was cold. Levi found himself wondering when Thanksgiving was. He loved his brother's turkey.

He was so lost in thought that he bumped right into someone. He started to apologize, but something caught his attention before he saw the person's face. Those green eyes...

"Eren?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I checked my email this morning, and imagine my surprise when I saw twelve whole comments waiting for me! Like, wowzers! Thanks a bunch! ^^
> 
> And, like I've been doing a lot recently, I'll update again later.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think I need to say that there's gonna be a whole lot of angst from here on out, right? Maybe I should add a tag.

Eren stopped. What was Levi doing out when it was so cold? Then again, he was out as well. He shoved his hands further into his deep male pockets. 

"Levi..." he said, looking away. His breath came out in puffs, the little clouds disappearing almost as soon as they came. Eren's nose was cold. He wanted to pull up his scarf, but then he wouldn't be able to talk to Levi.

"Eren, what's going on?" Levi asked. His voice was monotone, but his eyes showed genuine concern. Eren felt a wave of guilt. He should tell Levi. He should tell him...

"Nothing." Eren mumbled. Levi didn't need to worry.

"It doesn't seem like nothing." Levi said, pursing his lips.

"It is." Eren insisted, looking up at him earnestly.

"Then let me in your house." Eren looked like he had been punched. So that was it. It was something going on in the brat's house.

"I..." Eren's face reddened. What could he say? He couldn't just say no, could he? He couldn't very well tell Levi about his parents. He would force the younger boy to move in with him or some shit. Sure, Levi didn't seem the type, but Eren knew better.

"Hmm...?" Levi prompted. Eren turned away, successfully doing the "tch" thing, and looking cute while doing it. 

"Nothing." Eren said, turning away. Levi caught his shoulder and spun the brunette back around.

"Is it really that bad?" asked Levi. He had to look up to meet Eren's eyes. He could see the uncertainty in those seas of green. Just what exactly was Eren hiding from him?

Eren stayed quiet. He didn't want to bother Levi with it. He wouldn't bother Levi with it. He wouldn't.

Eren felt his concentration snap as his head was pulled down to Levi's level. Levi pushed his lips against Eren's lips roughly. Eren froze for a minute, then decided to wrap his arms around the older man. Levi was surprised at first, then broke the kiss. Eren's eyes widened for a second before Levi crashed his lips to Eren's again, this time hungrier. Both of Levi's arms were now wrapped around Eren's neck, pulling him closer. Their kisses were frenzied now, teeth and tongues clashing. Finally, they pulled away for air, each of their faces flushed a deep red. Levi touched his forehead to Eren's and whispered huskily,

"Tell me."

Eren pulled back suddenly.

"Is that all?" he yelled, suddenly enraged, "That's all? You just want to know? You kissed me so I would tell you?"

Eren felt tears threaten to spill. He needed to get out of there, fast.

"Eren-" Levi began, but Eren was already running in the other direction.

Eren swiped away his tears, willing them to stop flowing. No such luck. Eren only succeeded in making his face colder. He stopped and tried to use his scarf to wipe them off. Stupid damn Levi!

Eren froze when he heard a familiar sob. Armin?

* * *

 

Levi punched a tree, not thinking about the pain it might cause.

_Dammit! God fucking dammit!_ Why was that kid messing with his emotions so much? Why could that brat affect him like this? He supposed he should go after him. Levi sighed and ran a hand through his hair. It was cold. Like, really cold. But Eren could be lost or something, so Levi decided to head in the direction he had seen Eren go.

Stupid damn shitty brat.

* * *

 

"Eren?" Armin asked. It was indeed Eren, sitting down next to him on the corner of the sidewalk. Both boys' faces were puffy and red. Neither one said anything about the other. There was no need to. They were both in slightly similar situations, after all.

"Hey." A voice said above them after a while. The voice was slurred, and they could smell the alcohol from where they sat. Right now, alcohol was sounding pretty good to Eren. And the man hadn't even started talking yet.

"So do you two lovely boys-" the man started, but was stopped by - surprisingly - Armin.

"Yes." he said, standing. Eren was going to say no (Usually you say no to suspicous drunk men), but if Armin wanted to get drunk...

"Are you paying?" Eren asked the man, eyeing him warily.

"Mm-hm." the man nodded and smiled. Yeah, he looked super drunk.

Armin wanted to drown his troubles in alcohol. You never would have guessed it by his looks, but Armin was a heavy drinker when he wanted to be.

Eren hesitated. He'd better only have one or two so he could get Armin home safely before he threw up all over him. He sighed as he followed, knowing that Armin was just asking for trouble.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, uh, this chapter is kind of boring. Sorry.

Eren nervously set his beer down as he watched Armin chug another. Armin was a heavy drinker, but this... Armin had already drank three beers - make that four - and was going for another. It hadn't even been that long since they had sat down.

Eren was glad that the man and his buddies were paying. He was also glad that he and Armin looked old enough not to get carded. Or maybe the waitress just didn't care.

"Whoa there," said one of the men, sounding nervous, "Slow down."

Armin just giggled and started to drink another. Eren hoped the blonde would stop before he started throwing up all over the place. Eren himself was starting to feel a slight buzz, and didn't want to get too tipsy, just in case.

Armin was the worst drunk Eren ever met. He was happy, then angry, then sad, then erotic. Eren didn't even know how Armin managed to go through all of those phases before puking his guts out, but he did. Armin was still in the happy phase, which meant he hadn't had too much to drink yet.

Eren heard Armin's phone ring. He grabbed it before Armin could.

"I'll answer it." he said, setting his own phone on the table and going outside. _It's cold_ , he thought as he answered the phone without even bothering to look who called.

"Hey, horse-face."

"Eren?" asked Jean, sounding surprised. "Where's Armin?"

"Inside." Eren blew out a puff of air. It was a bit like a sigh, but more like Eren just wanted to see his breath. "He's drunk off his ass."

"Shit." Jean cursed. Jean knew how bad Armin got when he started drinking.

"Yeah," Eren glanced back inside. "You should come pick him up."

"Where?" Jean sounded exhausted. Eren didn't see why, since he was the one who had made Armin so upset that he wanted to drink. Even Armin knew how bad Armin got. Armin didn't drink often.

Eren told him where they were and hung up, going back inside.

 

While this was happening, Eren's phone started to ring. Armin decided that it was only logical to answer his friend's phone, since Eren was being so courteous as to answer Armin's phone for him.

"Hello?" Armin crooned into the phone, drawing out the _o_ for as long as he could. He liked the way it sounded. He really should make that noise more often.

" _Oooooooo_. Very mice. Uh, nice."

"Who is this?" said a voice. They sounded awfully grumpy and slightly confused. They should have a beet. Bear. _Beer._ Ah yes, a beer. Armin should get another one of those.

"Armin." he said, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world. He giggled a little.

"Where's Eren?" he heard the grumpy voice say.

"Outside." said Armin, nodding a little. "He answered my phone for me. Isn't that nice?"

He heard the other person sigh. Why were they sighing? They should be happy.

"Outside where?" Armin thought hard for a moment, glancing between the men he sat with. They all shared uneasy glances and said something about money.

"(Insert name of your choice here)," he said triumphantly.

"He's drinking?!" asked the voice, sounding incredulous. "I'll be there."

Armin hung up and took another swig of beer. What was that about?

Suddenly, he was starting to feel very angry. Why did that man call Eren? Why did Eren answered his phone? That was _his_ job.

 

Eren walked back inside to a very grumpy looking Armin and groaned internally. He handed Armin back his phone, noticing that Armin's face was starting to turn pink. Shit.

"Eren, why did you answer my phone?" Armin's words were slurring together, making them hard to understand. Eren cast an exasperated look at the men, as if it were their fault. They all looked slightly uncomfortable.

Eren shot them all a warning glance that said, _You're still paying_ , before answering.

"Because you told me to." Eren said evenly.

"I don't remember that." Armin said slowly, pursing his lips.

"You did." Eren said. Armin felt rage well up inside him.

"No I fucking didn't!" he said loudly. Oh, great. Here came the cursing.

"I never fucking told you to! You just always do whatever the hell you want, huh?" Armin was trying to sound tough, but his words were still slurring badly. _Hurry up, Jean_ , thought Eren as he stayed silent. He knew how to deal with Armin by now. He just had to suffer through it. Any comment would just make it worse.

He kind of wanted Levi right now, in the way a child might want his mommy. But he was afraid the older man was mad at him.

"Dick." Armin mumbled before swallowing some more beer. Before Armin could get to his third phase, Jean showed up. Levi also showed up around the same time. Levi recognized Jean and nodded in acknowledgment, like those cool guys in the movies, Jean doing the same. They walked inside.

Eren was trying to ward off one of the drunk men that was getting too handsy, and Armin was cursing up a storm. Jean groaned. Armin had gotten really, really drunk.

"Time to go." said Jean as he pulled at Armin's hand.

"And what gives you the right to decide when I leave?" challenged Armin. "Horse-faced prick."

Jean ignored the comment and hauled Armin up, dragging him out of (Insert name of your choice here). Jean put Armin in the car as soon as tears started streaming down his face.

Jesus Christ.

Meanwhile, Levi put a hand on Eren's assaulter's shoulder, surprising the younger boy. The drunk man looked up with distant eyes.

"What?" he asked, not moving from his position. Levi didn't like how close they were. He yanked Eren out of his seat and pulled him flush to his body. Eren yelped in surprise.

"He's mine." Levi said threateningly. His eyes glinted with anger. The man raised his eyebrows and slid back into his seat.

"So now I'm property?" Eren huffed, but didn't move. He didn't want that man's hands all over him again. And there was the fact that his face felt as red as a tomato.

"Yes." Levi answered him, dragging him toward the door. Eren got into the passenger side and sat down awkwardly. Levi sat down next to him, in the driver's seat.

Oh god. He was in a car. _Alone_. With Levi.


	17. Chapter 17

Eren and Levi sat in the car in silence. The car wasn't moving, and neither were they. Finally, Levi reached into his pocket. He had an idea a little bit ago, before he called Eren.

"Eren," he said, making the brunette jump, "Let's make a deal."

"What kind of a deal?" asked Eren, his interest immediately piqued. The awkwardness surrounding them immediately dissolved.

"Let's play a game. If I win, you have to tell me what's going on. If you win, you don't."

Eren thought for a moment. If he could win against Levi...

"What game?"

"Pocky." Levi said, bringing it out. Eren looked at Levi questioningly. Levi sighed.

"Each of us puts one end in our mouths and eats. If you pull away, you lose."

"So, like that one scene in Lady and the Tramp?" asked Eren. He could easily win this."That doesn't actually work, you know. The noodle breaks."

"Yes." Levi nodded. "And I already knew that. Everybody's tried it."

"Okay." said Eren. Levi raised his eyes and pulled out some pocky, sticking it in Eren's mouth and biting down on the other end.

Eren blushed at the closeness, but refused to pull away. Even when Levi started to move closer. And closer. Eren squeezed his eyes shut as Levi closed the distance between them and their lips met. Eren felt triumph surge within him. He won! Levi reached behind Eren's head and spread his fingers through that soft, soft hair. He pulled Eren closer, earning a small gasp from the younger. He smiled against Eren's mouth.

Eren was the first to pull away, breathing heavily but looking triumphant. Levi rolled his eyes and hid a smile. The brunette looked happier now than he had all week, and he wasn't about to ruin that.

"You don't have to tell me." Levi sighed, leaning back in his chair and giving Eren a sideways glance. Eren's face was as red as a tomato.

Eren couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. Maybe he should tell Levi. He deserved to know, after all. Eren had been rude enough to avoid him...

"Levi." Eren said, tilting his head so he could see the older man. Levi raised his eyebrows.

"Sorry. About avoiding you."

Levi was silent. Eren breathed in heavily, feeling his lungs stretch, and breathed back out.

"Um..." Eren began to tell Levi what was wrong, but something stopped him. Fear was starting to overtake him. He could feel it rise slowly from his stomach to his throat, cutting off all words. He was finding it hard to breathe, as if he was in a confined space. He felt tears prick at his eyes and he couldn't. Stop. _Shaking_.

"Eren?" asked Levi, concern dripping into his voice.

Eren started gasping for air, throwing open the car door and crouching on the ground, tears now flowing freely from his eyes. He rocked back and forth, squeezing his eyes shut. His heart was beating so fast, his breath coming out in little puffs. His chest hurt. He was going to die. All of Eren's rationality was flying through the window.

Levi quickly got out of the car and knelt beside Eren, unsure of what to do. The kid was having a fucking panic attack. What should he do?

Eren needed to get out of there, away from the confined space between Levi and the car. Where would he go? His chest fucking _hurt_. He was shaking too hard to move, but he was so scared. Eren started thrashing around. Levi cursed.

Dammit, dammit, _dammit!_

* * *

 

Ymir and Christa walked out of a movie theater, having just seen the new Disney movie and deciding that it was awesome. Suddenly, Christa stopped cold, fear spreading through her chest.

The man standing in front of them had messy dirty-blonde hair and a very unruly beard. He was the spitting image of Christa, or rather, she was the spitting image of him. Ymir looked between the two, immediately making the connection and narrowing her eyes. Her eyes raked the man slowly.

"Like what you see?" the man said lazily, grinning. Ymir almost threw up.

"Hell," she said, grabbing Christa. She was trembling. Ymir felt anger rising inside her, but she couldn't beat up a man right outside of a fucking movie theater.

She dragged Christa through the crowd of people, taking note of the fact that Christa's father was following them. Christa's lower lips was trembling. Ymir leaned down and gave her a quick kiss, smiling gently.

"It's okay." she said soothingly. "I'll take care of it."

Christa smiled weakly, still not completely convinced. As soon as they had gotten away from all of those people, she realized that they weren't going to Ymir's house. She let a small smile touch her face. At least he wouldn't know where they lived. Where Ymir's (previously unmentioned) parents lived.

Suddenly, Ymir stopped at a small playground. Christa looked around nervously. There were no children, not this late at night.

"We just need him to attack first," whispered Ymir under her breath, "Then it will be self-defense. Totally justified reason for kicking his sorry ass."

Christa's father stopped a few feet away from them, taking in their surroundings and raising an eyebrow at Ymir.

"Who are you?" he asked, his words slurring. He was drunk.

"Christa's girlfriend." said Ymir, jerking her head toward Christa as she did so.

"Girlfriend?" the man said slowly. Ymir resisted the urge to smirk and failed miserably, a smug look appearing on her face.

"Yup," she said, leaning down and planting a kiss on her surprised girlfriend's cheek. "She's mine now, fucker."

"She's..." the man said, clenching his jaw. "She's mine! Christa doesn't belong to anyone else. I'm her father, for fuck's sake!"

Christa's father ran toward them. Christa shrank away, but Ymir grinned, punching the man square in the jaw as soon as he got within range. Christa's eyes widened as her father fell to the ground with a loud thud. Ymir whistled and shook her aching hand.

"You've got quite the jaw there," she said, kicking him in the stomach. Christa's father wheezed.

"Stop." said Christa quietly. Ymir looked back at her, then down at the man coughing on the ground. She walked back over to Christa.

"Can we call the police now?" she asked quietly. Christa stared at her dad, laying there in a crumpled heap. She sniffled and nodded. Ymir smiled.

"Good."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was thinking, "What would I do in Eren's place?" and a wave of panic washed over me. The pressure and everything would be a bit much. OOC? Probably. Do I care? No.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In your absence, Levi has decided that the best way to calm Eren down is to hug him.

Eren was finally beginning to still in Levi's arms when his phone rang. Levi scoffed and pulled away from Eren a bit, digging around in his pocket for his phone. He could still hear sniffles coming from the younger boy. Gpd, panic attacks were serious shit.

"Hello?" he asked, sounding irritable. Eren was wiping his eyes. _Damn, he's in no condition to go home_.

"Levi?" Irwin's voice came from the other end, sounding awkward. Irwin had never been good on the phone. "You aren't at your apartment."

"Yeah, obviously." Levi said, trying to resist rolling his eyes. He could hear shuffling on the other end, then a new voice rang out.

"Levi!" Zoe squealed, drawing out the _e_. "Levi, are you on a date?"

Levi was silent for a moment.He looked down at Eren.

"Shitty glasses." he said finally. He heard her squeal before Irwin took the phone back.

"Well, come back. I brought back pizza and bread sticks." Levi's ears perked up. Pizza and bread sticks? He looked down at the younger man, one of his arms still circling him protectively.

"I'll be there in a bit." Levi said, hanging up. He pulled away completely, sitting on his heels. Eren looked better. Much, much better.

"Hey, what was your friend's name? Mokasa or something?" asked Levi, a bit awkwardly.

"Mikasa?" asked Eren helpfully, still a bit shaken.

"Yeah." Levi said. "Call your parents and tell them you're staying as Mikisi's house tonight. You shouldn't be going home." _Especially if what's at home is what did this._

"But Mikasa-" Eren protested, and was cut off by Levi.

"Call her first." said Levi. "Explain it to her. You can stay at my place."

Eren nodded and sniffled. The tears he hadn't managed to wipe off felt like they were freezing onto his face. Now it was around mid-November, and the real cold was starting to set in. He called Mikasa, who was understanding but slightly upset, and then his parents. They were happy he was staying at Mikasa's rather than "Marco's." If only they knew.

The ride there was silent. Levi glanced at Eren every few minutes. Eren shut his tear-swollen eyes and attempted to get a little nap in first. He failed, but at least that kept Levi from questioning him until later.

Why did he have a panic attack? He had never had one before. He didn't even have anxiety. What the _fuck?_

When they got to Levi's apartment, the reality of what was happening dawned on Eren. He was going to spend the night with Levi. _With Levi._ A man who Eren assumed was attracted to him. But, then again, we all know what happens when we assume.

As Eren's face turned red by the thought, Levi opened the door. They were immediately bombarded by an over-excited science major and Captain Eyebrows. Zoe grinned when she saw Eren, and ran over to hug him. Levi silently thanked the gods of luck that Irwin wasn't the jealous type when Zoe began to rave about how, "Even Eren's tear-stained face is beautiful!"

Eren was obviously flustered, but Irwin paid no mind, busily getting out plates for them. Eren and Zoe ate the pizza with their hands, and Irwin and Levi ate with forks. Eren looked at them questioningly.

"Why are you eating with a fork?" he asked. Levi grimaced.

"Because I don't want to get my fingers dirty, brat." Eren nodded, but continued to eat with his hands.

Strange, Levi didn't find the act disgusting when it was Eren. Zoe, on the other hand...

When they were all full, Zoe and Irwin left with a few leftovers.

"Have fun." Zoe said suggestively, wiggling her eyebrows. Eren couldn't help but imagine Captain Eyebrows doing that and snorted.

Just before they left, Zoe threw a condom in the room and ran for her life, laughing. Eren blushed, but Levi just shook his head. He picked it up and made a show of throwing it away. They stood there in silence for a while, neither sure what to do. Finally, Levi spoke up.

"Go pick a movie." he said. "Over there," he gestured to a bookshelf with two of the shelves filled with movies.

Eren walked over and crouched down. Levi's movies were alphabetical, so Eren scanned through specific letters to see if Levi had any of his favorite movies. Finally, he settled for Zombieland. Levi raised his eyebrows.

"Not bad." he said. Levi popped the disk into the player and sat down beside Eren on the couch.

They talked about small things, Levi not wanting to push Eren yet. Eren was thankful. Around the time when Woody Harrelson was yelling about twinkies, Eren's eyelids drooped. When he fell asleep, Levi got up slowly, not wanting to wake the sleeping Eren, and turned the movie off. He grabbed a fluffy blanket and a nice, soft pillow and walked them over to him. He draped the blanket over the sleeping teen and stuffed the pillow under his head.

"...Cute." he whispered, surprised that he had said it out loud. He leaned down slowly and planted a kiss on the teen's rough lips.

"Goodnight." he breathed, smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's short and I'm a failure sorry sorry sorr so rry
> 
> And dear lord do I regret calling her Zoe in this fic.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That last review really got me like, "Oh shit, I haven't been updating this!"
> 
> I've had a lot of school work to do, so uh... yeah.

When Armin woke up, he had a pounding headache. What happened last night? He looked around. He was sleeping in Jean's bed, but Jean was nowhere to be found. A cup of water and some aspirin sat on the bedside table. Armin grimaced and took the medicine.

He inspected himself. It didn't look like he and Jean did anything. He remembered getting into the car and crying, whining about something...

Ah, his head hurt. Armin rubbed his temples as Jean entered the room. He raised an eyebrow.

"Hangover?" asked Jean. Armin could only nod, momentarily forgetting that he was mad at Jean.

"What happened?" Armin asked, flopping back down on the bed. Jean laughed.

"First of all, I had to drive home with you trying to cling to my shirt. The sad phase didn't go on for very long." Jean paused, remembering. "You tried to seduce me. Like the good person I am, I refused. Then, you passed out. So I had to drag your heavy ass form the living room to my room, and then I had to sleep on the couch."

"Thanks." was all Armin said, looking away. Jean sighed and sat on the bed beside him. Armin sat straight up, causing his head to pound. "I'm sorry." Jean said. Armin looked at him.

"Sorry for flirting with Marco. I wouldn't be happy if you were flirting with Eren." The entire apology was mumbled, but it did make Armin feel better.

"I might forgive you." said Armin. "But we're not going to get back together right away. You have to ask me on a few dates first, okay? Prove to me that you will only date me. Woo me."

Jean smiled. "Yeah. Maybe we can go to the ocean."

Armin nodded, letting a soft smile spread across his face. Jean moved in for a kiss, but Armin leaned away.

"What did I _just_ say?" asked Armin in a mocking tone. Jean sighed.

"Do you want to have breakfast with me?" he asked, sounding exasperated. Armin giggled.

"What, Jean, is this a date?" he asked, using his best southern belle voice. Jean gave Armin a look and Armin laughed again.

"Yes, Jean. Let's go."

* * *

 

When Eren woke up, Levi had made pancakes. They were very thin, but good. Then, he told Levi everything about his parents. He could see Levi's jaw clench and unclench as he told his story, and tried to wrap it up as quickly as possible before Levi punched something. When he was done, Levi stood up.

"What are you doing?" asked Eren. Levi threw on a coat and grabbed Eren's arm. He began to pull the younger man toward the door.

"Levi!" he shouted, pulling away. Levi turned.

"Do you want to stay here with me?" he asked. Eren's eyes widened. Stay in an apartment with Levi? It seemed unreal. He would be away from his parents. Away from the constant anxiety. Eren nodded. _Of course_ he did. Of course. Would his parents let him stay?

The ride to Eren's house was a bit awkward. Levi's intense gaze on the road worried Eren a bit. He hoped Levi wouldn't do anything stupid that might jeopardize it. If he did, Eren could always pull out the old, "I'm old enough to make my own choices!" argument.

They stopped in front of his house. Eren breathed in, and out. He was going to do it. After all this time, he was going to tell them. How would they react? Would they hit him? Hit Levi? Yell? Eren felt his throat close up, but got out of the car anyway. He could do this. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat as they walked toward the door.

Eren considered going in, but he thought it would be best just to knock on the door. He looked over at Levi. The man had been so sure of himself, hadn't thought at all about telling Eren's parents. Eren, however, had thought too much. Eren wasn't sure which was better; no fear, or too much fear.

He knocked on the door. The one to answer it was Grisha, with Carla following close behind. Their eyes widened at the sight of Levi.

"Marco?" they asked. Levi furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Eren, who smiled at him apologetically.

"Levi." he said, clearly not getting what Eren had done. Eren cast Levi an exasperated look before beginning.

"Mom, Dad..." Eren started, casting a nervous look at Levi, "I'm going to be staying at Levi's."

"You're seventeen." said Grisha slowly. 

"Yeah." Eren shifted uncomfortably. "That's old enough."

"And you're moving in with... a man." said Carla, the gears obviously turning as they put two and two together.

"Yeah." Eren said,his voice even quieter. Levi looked from Eren to Grisha. He saw Grisha's gaze move to him. All of a sudden, Levi felt a stinging pain in his cheek and stumbled back. He heard Eren gasp, and a warmth replaced some of the stinging.

Grisha had actually hit Levi. Eren moved in a blur, backhanding his father across the face. Now it was Grisha's turn to stumble back, obvious surprise registering on his face. Levi's eyes held shock for a second before turning apathetic again, one hand to his reddening cheek.

"Don't you ever hit Levi again." Eren said quietly. Anger surged up within Grisha and he raised his hand. Eren flinched, and raised his arms to protect himself.

A smack resounded through the air as Levi's fist connected with Grisha's gut. Grisha coughed and sputtered, but stayed standing. Levi lowered his fist, breathing hard. Throughout this exchange, Carla had stayed silent, her face unreadable.

"Dad," Eren said, his voice quivering in emotion, "I'm going to move in with Levi." he walked toward Levi's car.

Levi followed him. _At least he's not hurt on the outside_ , Levi thought. When they arrived back at Levi's house, Eren had tears streaming down his face. He grabbed an icepack out of Levi's freezer and applied it to Levi's cheek. Levi leaned in, kissing the tears away.

"Levi," Eren said in a choked voice, hugging the older man.

"Rivialle." Levi said. Eren raised his eyebrows.

"I thought you said your name wasn't Rivialle." Eren said, not comprehending. Levi sighed.

"I don't let most people call me Rivialle. But you're a special case, brat. Call me Rivialle." Eren smiled.

"Rivialle." he whispered, leaning in for a much needed kiss. Perhaps, after all of this, things could be OK.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second arc, start!

Eren pulled his scarf over his nose. Or, he tried to. Levi pulled it down to give Eren a quick goodbye kiss before he left. Eren felt heat rush to his face as Levi pulled away, smirking. The side of Levi's hand was black from writing.

"Are you sure you can't come?" asked Eren for the fifteenth time. Levi sighed.

"I'm sure." Shortly after moving in with Levi, Eren had learned that Levi was studying to be a teacher. It had surprised him at first, but he had gotten used to the idea. Now, he thought the job suited him quite well. Levi was being a student teacher now, and had a lot of work to do. Not that he didn't have a lot of work to begin with.

"Be safe!" Levi called to Eren as he walked down the hall. Eren gave a small smile and a wave before heading out.

It was now mid-December, and a few weeks before Christmas. Connie had invited Eren to a bonfire. No matter how much he pleaded with Levi, he refused to go. Eren suspected the real reason was that he didn't like Eren's friends, but Eren was OK with that.

Eren pulled his scarf up further. He assumed that he and Levi were now dating exclusively. Neither of them had really spoken about it, but it was one of those things you didn't need to talk about. He wasn't sure when it happened. It just... did.

He hadn't spoken to his parents since he moved out. Sure, he got plenty of phone calls, which he promptly ignored. His phone rang almost constantly, so Eren had to set it to silent. Now he might miss some important calls, but it was worth it.

Eren knew he was close when he smelled fire and beer. When he arrived at Connie's house, the place was already a wreck. Eren hoped that Jean didn't let Armin drink. Jean and Armin had been doing okay, too. They weren't necessarily dating yet, but they spent all of their time together. The only thing holding them back was Armin's refusal to accept Jean's offers to get back together. And Jean asked a lot.

Eren walked into the backyard. He could see Jean, Armin, and Mikasa in one area of the yard. In another, Sasha, Connie, Annie, Reiner, and Bertholdt stood. There were a few other people, such as Ymir and Christa, Freckled Jesus, and Mike, to name a few. Eren had never really liked Mike. He walked over to stand with Mikasa and the others.

Armin and Jean were being lovey-dovey, and Mikasa looked like she was about to throw up. She was chugging her beer full-force. Eren walked over and relief flooded Mikasa's face.

"Eren!" she called. She didn't sound drunk at all. If there was one person who could hold their alcohol, it was Mikasa.

"Looks like Armin and Jean are eating each other's faces." Eren observed. Said couple continued to shove their tongues down each other's throats.

"Don't you want to go somewhere else?"

Mikasa looked around. "We could go stand with Connie, I guess." she said. "But if he starts making out with Sasha, I'm leaving."

Eren laughed, and hooked his arm through Mikasa's. They walked over. Mikasa lowered her voice.

"You're not letting Levi-not-Rivialle do anything to you, right?" she asked, a protective tone to her voice. Mikasa had decided to let her one-sided love for Eren go. She had no chance, what with Levi-not-Rivialle showing up. And a man with such a weird name, too!

"No, Mikasa." Eren shook his head. "We haven't done anything yet." The way Eren said "yet" bothered Mikasa, but she let it go.

"Hey!" Connie shouted. "It's Eren and Mikasa!"

"We can see just fine, dumb-ass." Annie hit him on the shoulder. She pushed her hair behind her ear, a habit of her's.

"And you can probably smell pretty well, too." Connie remarked , unable to help himself. With a loud thwack, Connie ended up on the ground. Annie was in a fighting stance with one hand on the back of her neck, a reflex she always had.

"That was uncalled for." Sasha scolded, taking a huge bite of a pastry she had bought. Well, Eren assumed that she had bought it. You never knew with Sasha.

"Honestly." Reiner put an arm around Annie, who shot him a menacing glare. Reiner ignored it. Annie huffed and looked away.

Eren looked at Bertholdt. He had always been kind of cute, wearing those big sweaters, always looking unsure of himself, and standing way taller than anyone else. Eren still thought so, even though his thoughts were occupied with a certain someone.

In the end, Sasha and Connie ended up having a make-out session anyway, and Annie, Reiner, and Bertholdt went back to their normal group of three. Mikasa and Eren decided to go home a little early, since it just turned out to be a kissing fest.

"Bye bye, Eren." Mikasa waved. Eren waved back, a relaxed smile on his face. He had fun.

He checked his watch. Half past midnight. It was still a bit early. Eren wondered if he should go get a coffee or a book or something. Just then, Eren felt something covering his face. It smelled sickeningly sweet, and all Eren wanted was to hold his breath. His vision darkened, the muted colors of night slowly fading into black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh, sorry?

**Author's Note:**

> And now I'll set to work posting chapter two.
> 
> Find me on tumblr at temporary-name.tumblr.com!


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